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GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 28 • 5 BY GOLD AND BLACK STAFF NO. 1: 'GET BIGGIE' Purdue landed its highest-profile recruit in a generation and won out in one of the most scrutinized recruitments of the year when it landed McDonald's All-American and five-star recruit Caleb Swanigan. Not since Glenn Robinson have the Boilermakers landed a player of the sort of reputation the Fort Wayne Homestead star and Indiana Mr. Basketball carries. After just three seasons of high school basketball — he reclassified from the 2016 class to 2015 — Swanigan is considered one of the truly elite high school players nationally, a rich-get-richer sort of addition to a Purdue frontcourt that already returns the excellent center tandem of A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas and budding standout Vince Edwards. Swanigan is expected to slide into the power forward position for Purdue, likely creating a ripple effect of changes in positions and/or roles, with Edwards conceivably moving to the wing and wing Rapheal Davis possibly to the backcourt. It'll be either that or someone who's earned a prominent role will move to the bench and continue to play a prominent role, just as a reserve instead of a starter. Much remains to be figured out in terms of how Purdue will accommodate Swanigan and integrate the 6-foot- 9, 265-pounder into its offensive and defensive game plans, but any questions that may come with his addition can be filed under "good problems to have." Purdue, at least on paper, looks to be in that rare position of having too many players, especially in its frontcourt, while the crucial point guard position remains a question. In hopes of answering that question, Matt Painter and his staff added fifth-year transfer Johnny Hill in hopes of rewriting the Jon Octeus story, knowing full well it's a story that may be close to impossible to replicate. These additions came on the heels of All-Big Ten center A.J. Hammons' decision to return to Purdue for his senior season. With Hammons back; an experienced — and good — sophomore class; Swanigan on board; and an experienced addition in the backcourt mix, Purdue hopes all the pieces are in place to contend in a loaded Big Ten and find staying power in March, maybe even April. NO. 2: BASKETBALL BOUNCE BACK Coming off a last-place finish in the Big Ten and entering this season with a roster that included as many newcomers as returnees, Purdue looked bound for another difficult season. Instead, it flipped the script, riding a dramatic midseason reversal of fortunes to a 21-win season and return to the NCAA Tournament after a two-year hiatus, putting what seemed like an inevitable rebuild well ahead of schedule. It was made possible by four things above all others. First off, a freshman class that much was hoped from right away delivered and then some, as Edwards, Haas and guard Dakota Mathias all contributed heavily as rookies and gave reason to believe that their futures are even more promising as their present. Second, Hammons, in his third year in the program, put it all together, playing at a first-team All-Big Ten level — though McDonald's Caleb Swanigan had the attention of Purdue fans for a couple weeks this month before publicly announcing his decision to join the Boilermakers. Top-10 Stories Of The Year